Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
June 30, 2016
Growers are feeling the pressures of lower commodity prices and looking for ways to save money and increase efficiencies. That means they are exploring options — for seed and other crop inputs — earlier than ever before. One of the first input cost corn growers may examine is the seed bill. But it’s important for growers during tough times to balance risks and rewards when evaluating seed options.
“Choosing the right seed upfront can save money throughout the growing season and lead to better value and return on investment,” says John Long, Mycogen Seeds commercial agronomist.
Farming requires a great deal of capital. The USDA’s Economic Research Service projects this year’s corn production costs at nearly $700 per acre. Seed purchases are among the top investments.
Long recommends keeping these three considerations top of mind when selecting corn hybrids:
- Evaluate management zones
- Consider a hybrid’s genetics for disease tolerance
- Don’t rule out traits
Evaluate management zones
Growers can maximize their seed investments by evaluating management zones in each field and strategically building a planting plan for each zone. Long says growers should split management zones into two or three categories to maximize their seed investments and increase overall efficiency.
In top-producing acres — or “A” zones — growers should invest in strong genetics and higher plant populations. For the lower-producing areas in a field — “B” and “C” zones — growers may not want to push populations as high.
Consider hybrid disease tolerance
Genetics are important to overall plant health. When it comes to disease tolerance, growers now have a number of hybrid options with strong genetic tolerance to diseases like northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), gray leaf spot (GLS) and Goss’s wilt.
“For growers who encounter these and other diseases, genetics is the best way to mitigate negative impacts and yield loss,” Long says.
For instance, Goss’s wilt is a yield-robbing disease with no in-season rescue option. NCLB and GLS require in-season fungicide applications, adding cost, time and machinery wear throughout the growing season.
Don’t rule out traits
Traits are a valuable way to protect against insects that rob yield. Trimming seed costs by selecting conventional seed could lead to disaster.
“Traits are at work even though growers may not realize it. If a grower skimps on traits, he or she will likely see the negative results of that decision,” Long says. “Growers could think of traits like they do vaccines against human diseases. If the vaccine works, you’ll never notice. But if you don’t have that protection and become ill, it’s apparent.”
Growing conditions vary from year to year. In years of additional crop stress, crop damage from insects is more evident than years with optimum growing conditions. Long says traits protect the crop’s yield potential. In most seasons, the value of traits outweighs the risks of reduced yield or crop loss.
Long says growers could face these potential challenges if they choose seed without protective traits:
- Black cutworm. In the spring, black cutworm can lead to stand reduction that could result in yield loss. Growers may need to apply a rescue treatment or replant.
- Corn earworm. Late-season corn earworm feeding on the top of the ears reduces grain quality and number of kernels. It also increases potential for mycotoxins, which could lead to deductions at the elevator and reduced income.
New above-ground insect protection
Mycogen Seeds now offers corn hybrids with PowerCore®, a new trait technology from Dow AgroSciences that delivers superior control of above-ground insects in corn. For the 2017 growing season, growers can get Mycogen® brand hybrids with either PowerCore or SmartStax® trait technology for the insect control right for their farm.
PowerCore is a pyramid of Bt traits that combines three proteins for the broadest-spectrum control of above-ground insects on the market. PowerCore protects crops against corn earworm, western bean cutworm, black cutworm, European corn borer, southwestern corn borer, sugarcane borer and fall armyworm. Growers with corn rootworm pressure can still select Mycogen brand hybrids with SmartStax.
“PowerCore is a great option for growers with low to no corn rootworm pressure on their farms,” Long says. “With PowerCore and SmartStax trait technologies, growers can choose the best protection for their growing environment.”
Choosing the perfect seed in today’s farm economy can be challenging. However, making the right seed choices can save growers time and money throughout the growing season.
“In the end, it’s better to make the right seed decisions than worry about in-season rescue treatments and costs, and possible yield loss,” Long says.
Growers should work with their Mycogen Seeds commercial agronomist or local seed sales professional to help match the right product to their fields. Learn more about seed hybrid selection at Agronomy Answers on Mycogen.com.
About Mycogen Seeds
Mycogen Seeds is one of America’s fastest-growing seed companies, offering leading genetics in corn, soybeans, silage corn, sunflowers and canola. A seed company of Dow AgroSciences LLC, Mycogen Seeds maintains a robust global research and development program to bring growers high-performance genetics with the latest trait technologies. Working together, the people of Mycogen Seeds help growers find opportunity in every acre. For more information about Mycogen brand products, visit www.mycogen.com. Follow Mycogen Seeds on Facebook and YouTube.
About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences discovers, develops, and brings to market crop protection and plant biotechnology solutions for the growing world. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and had annual global sales of $6.4 billion in 2015. Learn more at www.dowagro.com. Follow Dow AgroSciences on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+, or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.
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